Yes, the flooding rivers, endless rains, ice and snow came. Real snow, the kind that sticks around for days, makes snowmen and covers the streets. So is the worst of it all over? Well, the Worst Day of the Year Ride, presented by SKS Germany, is still to come. The name may conjure up thoughts of snow piled high, tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, ice storms and torrential down pours, but in truth it has never significantly rained on the Worst Day of the Year Ride.

This quirky annual tradition pokes fun at Portland's notoriously fickle weather and challenges riders to suit up and ride, no matter the weather. Choose from a short 18-mile urban course or an extended 40-mile route that includes a loop over the hills to Hillsboro. You will be treated to three rest stops with warm drinks, yummy treats and lively music. But don't fill up too much - the most delicious part of the ride is the finish line soup and focaccia bread lunch, served up fresh (and hot!) by Laughing Planet Cafe. You won't go hungry and you can't be chilly on this belly-warming ride.

As if being one of 3,000 cyclists riding through the winter streets of Portland weren't enough fun, come in costume and you'll receive a free rain fender from SKS Germany. But make your duds are sharp if you want to contend for great prizes in the costume contest. Roaming judges will be looking for the best dressed to win free passes to next year's ride and more.

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This is an ORbike member event. If you're an ORbike member you'll save $5 at the time of registration and you'll receive a free beer or soda at the finish line.

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Team In Training is saving lives... one mile at a time. You may have seen their signature purple colored shirts and jerseys at events last season and wondered "what's that all about?" Members of Team In Training (TNT) conquer distance bike rides and triathlons while supporting efforts to find a cure for blood cancers. Through this unique program, whether you are a novice or an experienced cyclist and/or triathlete you will be placed on a training program that will address your individual needs and prepare you for an event. The program is packed with supportive features including personalized fitness training by certified coaches, training clinics and a supportive group of teammates striving along side you.

Training for and participating with TNT is a proud acknowledgement of the human spirit, physical ability and mental endurance. It is also a celebration of life. Participants raise money for cancer research and services as they honor patients and their families with every pedal stroke. Recruitment is just around the corner. Registration for new riders, runners and swimmers to train for their next event starts this month.

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Everyone's favorite springtime ride is open for registration. With incredibly gorgeous routes, top-notch support at every mile, delicious food and a beach party finish line, Reach the Beach is the perfect way to tour Oregon by bike.

Choose from one of four distance options ranging from 26 to 100 miles. You and your friends will meander along quiet, gorgeous rural roads in search of a spectacular beach party in Pacific City. You'll roll through the patchwork of Oregon wine country vinyards, past knotty hazelnut groves, along quiet streams and over surprisingly few hills. Each route features rest stops approximately every 15 miles, two delicious lunch stops and all the support you need to make this a comfortable, relaxing and memorable day.

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This is an ORbike member event. If you're an ORbike member you'll receive $10 off your registration when using the ORbike discount code.

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Filmed by Bike is a festival of bike-themed short movies from around the word. You have just a little more time to put together a movie for this year's festival. The deadline for entries is February 15 and it is free to enter.

Filmed by Bike celebrates the artistic side of cycling culture with silver screen features that are much more than slick trick riding flicks. Submissions are limited to only eight minutes, challenging filmmakers to hone in on the bike theme. The resulting movies are always an entertaining mix of animation, documentaries and quirky stories.

This year's festival is April 17-23, an extended week-long run at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland. The opening night will feature a street party, speed raffle, beer station, entertainment and a new late night 11pm screening.

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Every year, the Worst Day of the Year Ride poster features a group of people goofing around on their bikes and poking fun at Portland's fickle weather. The models are usually riding while wearing skis, holding umbrellas, flaunting bikinis, tucked within oversize parkas, etc.

Coming on the heals of an amazing year for cycling, this year's signature photo features well known and not-as-well-known people who are driving forces in making Portland a great biking town. The shoot features Mia Birk from Alta Planning + Design; Sasha Birk-Stachon, an enthusiastic youth bike rider; Emily Gardener, policy advisor for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance; Angela McKinney, bike filmmaker; Shanti Ware, mtb trail advocate with PUMP; Alison Hill-Graves, Community Cycling Center; Meghan Sinnott, Filmed by Bike film festival assistant; Roger Geller, City of Portland Bicycle Planner and Ly Do, a dedicated bike event volunteer.

The chosen photo was great, but it took a lot of goofy antics and riding around to achieve that final picture. So we're sharing a behind-the-scenes peek. Check out the extended play version of the photo shoot, featuring these dedicated folks having a blast on their bikes.

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Every year, riders flock to this event where one of Portland's best kept secrets is finally revealed: the new Cycle Oregon route. It's a chance to see cycling friends who have been hibernating through the winter and find out who's going on the ride this year. The party also marks the opening of registration for the week-long and weekend rides. Doors open at 6pm and the route announcement is at 7pm.

This free gala event is a perfect opportunity to rub elbows with scores of enthusiastic cyclists who are amped up for another great year of experiencing Oregon's bounty. Cycle Oregon is well known for beautiful campsites, gourmet food, hot showers, massage, cold microbrew, Oregon wine, live entertainment and a fully supported route. Head out to the Tiger Woods Center at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton to see what all the fuss is rightly about.

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